Music has long been used to bring people together and get them dancing. But if you’re playing songs one after the other, there will be moments when the song needs to be changed, resulting in moments of silence. Fortunately, there are ways around these awkward pauses. Beatmatching allows for the song to change in a DJ set by fading one song into the other and matching their tempo, or their beat, which keeps crowds dancing.

Read on to discover some practical tips on how to beatmatch once you become a DJ.

Students at DJ School Will Learn How to Properly Cue up a Song

When you begin to learn how to become a DJ, you’ll discover that one of the first steps in mixing and beatmatching is ‘cueing up’ a song. Cueing up a song refers to how a DJ prepares a song so that it starts playing right on the first beat.

A typical DJ set-up features two turntables placed on either side of a mixer, which controls how the music is sent from the turntables through the speakers and the DJ’s headphones. A Typical mixer will have anywhere from 2-8 mixer channels. On most standard DJ mixers there will be a ‘cue mix’ button for each mixer channel. These mixer channels will each be connected to a song or turntable. Once a DJ presses the cue mix button, the song on the mixer channel will begin to play—but only on the DJ’s earphones at first, and not yet through the speakers. Once you become a DJ, use just one earphone to listen to the song that you plan on syncing, while letting the other ear listen to the music being played on the dance floor.

When finding the first beat, DJ students know that they can’t just let the record spin until the first beat arrives. There isn’t time to waste as a DJ, you need to keep the music coming! That’s why instead of waiting, students learn to ‘fast forward’ a song by rotating the record on the turntable in a clockwise motion until they hear the first beat. Then they rewind the song until the needle lies directly behind the first beat. It’s important for students to precisely let go of the record as the first beat hits.

DJs often listen through one earphone to hear the song currently playing as well as the one being cued

Syncing the Beats is an Important Lesson in DJ Training

Once you’ve started your training at DJ schooland know how to properly cue a song, it’s time to move on to learning how to sync tracks. That’s where your turntables will come in handy. Let’s refer to the left turntable as A and the right as B.

When you have turntable A playing through the speakers, it’s time to use the above lesson to cue up the record on turntable B to begin syncing your music. Press the ‘cue mix’ button for turntable B, which will begin to send its sound through your headphones. Put your headphones up to one ear, and try to simultaneously listen to what is being played through your speakers and what is being played through your headphones. Now, try and start turntable B’s first beat at the same time that you hear a beat coming through the speakers from turntable A, usually by focusing on a kick drum sound.

If you’re lucky, you will match the kick drums of both turntables, but if not, there are some ways to quickly fix the situation. If you started record B late, give the record a slight push so that it begins to match up, and if you’ve started the record early, place your finger on the side of the turntable to slow it down just enough to begin to sync.

Matching Tempos Is Important For Students in DJ Training

Most likely the tempos of the two tracks you’re hoping to sync are different, which means that you’ll need to adjust each turntable’s speed in order for the tracks to sync properly. One way to do this is to raise the pitch level on the turntable in order to speed it up, or lower the pitch level to slow it down. This will help make the tracks line up well. The pitch level is often controlled by a little slider that is located directly next to a turntable and is used to speed up and slow down the speed of records.

Once the beats are synced, you can use the ‘fader’ slider on the mixer to begin to fade the song from turntable A out of the mix, and bring in the song from turntable B.

Want to discover how DJ training can provide the hands on instruction you need to match beats and move crowds?

We at Trebas Institute know how wonderful our graduates are—and leading academic organizations recognize it too! We are very proud to announce that two of our grads have been named Graduates of the Year by the prestigious association, Career Colleges of Ontario (CCO).

Natalia (from our event management school) was named Outstanding Graduate in Business/Business Administration Management. Her extensive volunteerism and determination to succeed set her apart as a leader in her field, and a highly deserving CCO award candidate.

Starting off with baby steps, Natalia volunteered at local community events, learned her trade on our Toronto campus, and eventually became involved in organizing some of the city’s biggest events. She earned an internship with the Toronto Metro Convention Centre through her studies at Trebas and now works for the centre full-time.

Shea (from our film production college) was named Outstanding Graduate in Applied Arts. Another Trebas student who went above and beyond his course work, Shea’s shining personality, positive outlook, and love for cinematography got him noticed by CCO.

Like Natalia, Shea earned employment through his Trebas internship. The video technology company ‘Vistek’ was quick to hire Shea after he impressed Vistek’s marketing team with his passion and post-production expertise. (You can read more about Shea’s well-earned success here.)

The Trebas Institute was proud to be in the corner of the Fight to End Cancer Charity (FTEC) on June 4th, as they hosted their most successful gala ever.

The event featured ten volunteers with no prior experience engaging in Olympic-style boxing matches, and is projected to have raised over $170,000 towards cancer research for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

And although they didn’t step in the ring on the night, Trebas students, alumni, and faculty all played their part. Trebas graduate Mitch Agar recorded a song for the event, which played during the gala, as well as featuring in one of FTEC’s commercials. To help bring this very special track to life, Agar turned to his former instructor, Trebas’s Head of Audio Engineering Jeff Wright, who served as the producer.

But the school’s contribution didn’t stop there. Current film production student Harrison Edgecombe was given the task of editing two promotional videos for the event, which showcased the role of some of FTEC’s most important sponsors.

You can check out some of Harrison’s handiwork here:

Now in its fifth year, the FTEC gala has so far raised over $500,000, and hopes to generate over $1 million by 2018. Trebas is looking forward to continuing to lend our support to this great cause!

Film students know that set design can have a big impact on a movie. Just imagine Harry Potter without Hogwarts, The Lord of the Rings without Middle-earth, or Titanic without, well, the Titanic. Movie sets help bring to life the worlds behind each story—whether it’s set in Victorian England or modern-day New York. But how do film students on a budget make sure that their sets don’t suffer from financial limitations?

Here are three cost-saving ways budding filmmakers create film sets.

1. Students at Movie Making School Start Planning Sets Early to Stay in Budget

As you begin your film courses, you’ll learn each and every aspect that goes into making a movie—from crafting the perfect script to properly lighting a set. You’ll also learn that another important lesson in filmmaking is to plan early.

Film students know that when working under constraints like a tight budget, it’s often best to keep these restrictions in mind right from the get go. If you’re still at the scriptwriting stage, for example, you could look over scenes, determine which sets you’ll need, and if they can all fit within your budget. In some cases, you might find that a particular set is essential to your movie. As production designer Fiona Crombie discovered while working on Macbeth “Early on with Macbeth, we made the decision that Inverness should be a village, comprised of tents, rather than the castle of the play.” By making that decision early in the process, they were able to plan their budget with those considerations in mind.

But, if a set would take a big portion of your budget and doesn’t play a crucial role in your story, you might be able to find a good substitute or cut it out from your script to avoid unnecessary costs.

2. Students in Film Training Use Local Locations to Cut Costs

Completing your film training in Toronto places you in the heart of one of the most film-friendly cities in North America. And so why not take advantage of Toronto’s top locations when filing your own scenes?

Toronto offers a wide variety of locations—from the University of Toronto to the city’s bustling financial district. As you scout out locations for your movie, consider starting the search in Toronto before opting for a pricey trip to another city.

3. Purchasing Used Props Helps Students in Film Courses Design Sets on a Budget

Another way film students can save on set design costs is to search for free or second-hand props. In fact, several sites are dedicated to this. For example, the site ReadySetRecycle.com helps filmmakers in Toronto sell or simply give away props, sets, and costumes that they’re no longer using and don’t want to send to a landfill. So far they’ve been hugely successful. As the site’s creator Grant Heggie boasts, “in the first 3 months of 2016 we have seen over 140 tons of scenery come through our website and go into the hands of people and companies who need it. ”

If you’re looking for cost-cutting options for your set design, these second-hand sites might just help you stretch your budget even further.

Along with the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers, one of our very own instructors hit the hardwood at the recent quarterfinal round of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals.

Oscar Betancourt, teacher at Trebas’ Audio Engineering and Production/DJ Arts training and Music Production program, was invited to perform a half-time set for a packed crowd at Toronto’s Air Canada Center. As DJ Grouch, Oscar backed the “godfather of Canadian Hip Hop” himself, Maestro Fresh Wes.

“I’m stoked and honoured,” wrote DJ Grouch when announcing this gig to his fans over Instagram.

It was an exciting opportunity for our DJ Arts instructor, but not out-of-the-ordinary: this month alone he’s also played impressive sets for both Lulaworld and CBC Music Festivals. It’s his hands-on experience and commitment to his craft that make him such a valued presence on Trebas’ Toronto campus.

When not rubbing shoulders with LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan, you can find DJ Grouch here in the DJ training studio introducing students to a range of recording techniques and state-of-the-art audio equipment. Those with an ear for high-quality track mixing and boundary-pushing soundscapes are welcome to come and join in.

Would you like to work with DJ Grouch and his fellow instructors at a top DJ training college?